To further promote exchange and cooperation between the Ministry of National Defence of the People’s Republic of China and the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Rwanda, a Chinese Military Delegation led by Maj Gen Zhang Yingli today visited the Ministry of Defence.

The Chinese delegation was warmly welcomed by the Minister of Defence, Gen James Kabarebe and the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Patrick Nyamvumba. The bilateral discussions reviewed the progress of the ongoing excellent military relation between the two countries and expressed the willingness to enhance it even further. The Minister of Defence emphasised during the discussions that “ Rwanda and China have always had good relations, so this visit is aimed at discussing ways of strengthening the existing cooperation”. The forces of the two countries maintain good levels of cooperation in terms of training and logistics.

The Chinese Head of Delegation commended Rwanda for its efforts to advance peace and security in Africa through peacekeeping engagements. “This is clearly a common interest for China and Rwanda alike”, Gen Zhang said. For its part, China has recently embraced multinational peacekeeping efforts by sending military and civilian personnel on peacekeeping missions in Africa.